


a path strewn with obstacles

by jucee



Category: Eyeshield 21
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-19
Updated: 2006-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 06:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1636106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jucee/pseuds/jucee





	a path strewn with obstacles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Demoerin](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Demoerin).



 

 

The bleachers of Enoshima Stadium were packed with spectators, every one of them loud, shouting out encouragement and beating their cheer sticks enthusiastically. It was the sort of environment where, in the midst of all the bodies and noise and the almost tangible excitement, two people could have a private, perhaps even intimate, conversation.

"So," said Takami, glancing at the person beside him out of the corner of his eye.

"So," said Sakuraba, the person beside Takami.

"...So what?" said Shin, Ootawara, Ikari, Torakichi and Onihei, all of whom sat directly behind the two. Shin had his arms crossed, his face impassive as always; Ootawara was digging around in his left nostril with one huge finger while keeping a firm hold on Ikari's chain with his right hand; Ikari was chewing on said chain, probably having missed breakfast; Torakichi was watching the back of Sakuraba's head closely, as if expecting him to do something really cool at any moment; and Onihei, his arms also crossed, was looking off to the side, clearly trying his hardest to ignore Torakichi's existence altogether.

Takami barely managed to hold back a sigh. He ducked his head slightly, pretending to adjust his glasses, while from the side of his mouth he muttered, "Just why exactly are they all here?"

The disgruntlement in his usually mild voice was unmistakeable. Sakuraba could feel a blush starting to creep up the back of his neck, and he ducked his head slightly the way Takami did in order to muffle his reply; however, neither of them had allowed for Shin's overly acute hearing.

"This game between the Oujou Silver Knights and Shinryuuji University should be very informative," Shin said without the slightest inflection in his voice, giving no indication that he knew he was answering a question that he wasn't supposed to have heard. "Our playing style may no longer be the same as that of our senpai, but it's still very similar, and the Shinryuuji style doesn't change from high school to university. I felt that it was necessary for me to observe the game first-hand."

"Ehh?" Ootawara said, scratching his head with the fingers that had just been up his nose. "What's this, Shin?"

"Takami-senpai was just asking why we were all here."

"Ohhh." Ootawara scrunched up his face in an expression that, on other people, might have meant he was deep in thought. This was not the case for Ootawara, though, who suddenly declared, "I'm gonna fart," and did just that. The two people seated behind him -- a guy with slicked-back hair who had a habit of saying, "Ohh?! Is your school a _boys'_ school?!" at random moments, and a girl with lots of make-up on who was presumably his girlfriend -- keeled over instantly.

Even Ikari, by now practically immune to such emissions of toxic gases, looked a little dazed as he grumbled around a mouthful of chain, "I wanna beat up that stupid guy who insulted Takami-senpai!"

Silence followed his statement. Then Takami turned to Torakichi and asked, "What about you, then?"

Torakichi grinned widely, revealing that he had recently lost yet another tooth, while Ikari thrashed about next to him and howled over being ignored until Ootawara yanked on his chain, hard, and Ikari's mouth snapped shut. "Sakuraba's so cool!" Torakichi exclaimed, apparently in answer to Takami's question. "Sakuraba's the best receiver ever!"

Sakuraba's earlier blush had receded, but now returned with a vengeance; he spun around and tried once again to convince Torakichi that he _wasn't_ the best receiver ever -- at least, not yet. Beside him, Takami pushed his glasses up his nose, more out of habit than necessity, and tried not to dwell on how cute Sakuraba looked with his cheeks stained a bright pink.

"--so of course you're gonna beat Deimon's monkey and Shinryuuji's monk and Seibu's horse guy and why is Onihei here?" Torakichi said with the ability that all six-year-olds have of talking without needing to breathe.

"Do I need to have a reason?" Onihei retorted, looking pleased that somebody had thought to ask him, yet at the same time a bit offended that that somebody had been Torakichi. "Naturally, as an American football player, I'm interested in watching how these two traditionally strong teams play against each other. But I have to say, in spite of the present company, that Shinryuuji looks even stronger than last year. I'm afraid that Oujou is going to lose this one."

"Hmm," Torakichi said, thoughtfully. "Well, if Onihei says so... then Oujou will definitely win! Yay!" He beat his cheer sticks gleefully, oblivious to the sour look Onihei sent his way.

And, inevitably, Oujou did win, though only by the slightest of margins. The end of the game also marked the exodus of the hundreds of spectators, who jammed up all the aisles and made just as much noise while trying to leave the stadium as they had during the game itself. Their little group of seven remained in their seats rather than joining the crush of people; Takami didn't doubt that Ootawara could easily clear a path for them, but seeing as they needed plenty of space to navigate Torakichi's wheelchair, it was probably wisest just to wait a few minutes before making their way down to the change rooms. He scribbled some numbers into his notebook -- the one he'd brought along more as a prop than anything else, since he'd expected to be alone with Sakuraba -- and when the aisles seemed clear enough, he closed it and stood up.

"Shall we go and congratulate the senpai?" Takami suggested, and watched as everyone started to move. He grabbed Sakuraba by the wrist before he could take two steps, though, and held on just until the rest of the group was ahead of them. "Let's walk more slowly," Takami murmured, and immediately wished that he hadn't let go so quickly but was unable to think of another excuse to take Sakuraba's hand again.

Sakuraba nodded, and resisted the temptation to rub at the skin on his wrist, oddly warm where Takami's fingers had just been. "I'm sorry that our da-- that it turned out like this," he said as they began to walk.

Takami looked faintly surprised. "Why? It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah, but... I'm still sorry," Sakuraba said, and tried to stop blushing.

Takami just smiled, and replied, "Me too."

They followed the others silently for a moment, listening to Torakichi's childishly tactless comments on how often Onihei was wrong about anything and everything, Onihei's grumbled disagreement, Ikari swearing that he was going to kick that senpai's head in, and Ootawara's unconcerned laughter. Finally, in a quiet voice intended for Sakuraba's ears only, Takami asked, "So where would you like to go next time?"

"Next time?" Shin said, several metres ahead of them and once again completely unaware of the fact that he was eavesdropping.

"Next time?" echoed Ootawara, Ikari, Torakichi and Onihei. They all turned and looked back at Takami and Sakuraba expectantly.

Stifling a groan, and trying his best to ignore Sakuraba's rather desperate expression, Takami said, "Next time... let's go see a movie."

"Yay!" Torakichi cheered. "I wanna see _Peso and His Furry Friends: Adventure in Space_!"

Nobody -- at least, nobody from Oujou -- was surprised when Ikari and Ootawara agreed with him, which left Onihei as the only one to protest; Shin had flatly declared that he needed to train, and had no time for movies.

"Takami-senpai..." Sakuraba practically whimpered, his eyes pleading with Takami to do something about the situation.

"It could be worse," was all Takami said, having realised that the only thing they could do was to resign themselves to their fate. "At least they won't talk during the movie. And it's dark in the cinema, so I can do this--"

He grabbed Sakuraba's hand, and didn't let go until they reached the change rooms.

 


End file.
